Individual account-keeping apparatus.



-N0. 885,958. PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

W. W ROBINSON.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT KEEPING APPARATUS. urmouron FILED MAR. 14, 1904.

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UNITD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. ROBINSON, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO IDEAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

INDIVIDUAL-ACCOUNT-KEEPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application filed March 14, 1904. Serial No. 197,934.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. ROBIN- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Individual-Account- Keeping Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of account keeping apparatus in which a cabinet having compartments is provided and a separate account file for each individual is placed in one of the compartments of the cabinet and the account sheets of each individual are added to the individuals file on top of the prior sheets so that the individuals balance may be readily seen by observing the top sheet of the file.

My object is to provide an apparatus of this class in which all of the files are locked in position in the cabinet and can be removed therefrom only by grasping a sliding lock on the file which releases the file from the cabinet and permits the withdrawal of the file and at the same time sets an indicator wherewhereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,

pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one of the individual account files, the dotted lines indicating the open positions of the leaf holding devices. 2 shows a detail, perspective view of the inner end portion of the front of the file frame to illustrate the means by which the sliding indicator is attached thereto.

Fig. 3 shows a front elevation of a part of a cabinet having compartments and showing a number of individual account files in position in the compartments, the upper file having its indicator in position to lock the file in the compartment and the lower one having its indicator projecting over the name card and in position to permit the removal of the file, and Fig. 4 shows a detail, perspective view of a part of the cabinet to illustrate the opening therein to receive the sliding lock of the file.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cabinet is seen to be composed of uprights and shelves 11 forming compartments to receive the files. The front edges of the uprights are provided with notches 12 and strips 13 are placed against the front edges of the uprights 10 overlapping the notches l2 forming openings to receive the sliding locks of the file.

The file proper is composed of a flat bot tom 14 having an integral front 15 and two tubular uprights 16 near the rear end of the file. Secured to the front face of the front 15 is a name card 17. At one end of the front 15 is a stationary wire handle 18 and at the other end of the front is a combined handle, sliding lock and indicator constructed as follows: This device is made complete of a single piece of spring wire. Its end portions 19 are parallel with each other, separated a considerable distance, and slidingly supported in the lugs 20 formed on the back face of the front 15. One of said ends is provided with a right angled projection 21 to engage the adjacent lug 20 and limit the outward move ment of the device. Beyond the end of the part 19, two parts of the wire are formed into a loop 22 projecting outwardly beyond the end of the front, then forwardly and then in Wardly across the front face of the front 15. At this point the wire is formed into a handle 23 projecting straight forwardly from the front and so arranged that an operator may readily grasp the handles 23 and 18 for the purpose of removing the file from the cabinet. At the end of the part 23, the device is projected straight across the front toward the center of the front forming the indicator 24. Then this device is at its outer limit of movement, the indicator 24 is beyond the name card 17 and the sliding lock 22 projects beyond the file and enters the notch 12 in the cabinet. At its other limit of movement, the indicator 24 projects a considerable distance over the name card and the sliding lock 22 engages the adjacent end of the front 15 and limits the inward movement thereof. The numeral 25 indicates a number of leaves placed upon the bottom or back 14 and having the tubular uprights 16 passed through them. These leaves are retained on the uprights by means of the curved arms 26, the ends of which enter said uprights 16. These arms are made of a single piece of spring wire, the central portion of which is mounted in the bearings 27 on the top surface of the back 14 and provided with a laterally inclined portion 28 to engage the back 14 and yieldingly hold the ends of the arms 26 in the uprights 16. The operator may grasp one of said arms and force it rearwardly to the position shown by dotted lines inFig. 1, the laterally bent ortion 28 yielding sufficiently to permit t is movement. In this manner, the leaves of the file may readily be removed. I have also provided for holding the forward ends of the leaves fiat upon the bottom as follows: The numeral 29 indicates a wire loop normally resting on top of the top leaf of the file and projecting to a point near the front thereof, and the other end of the 100 is mounted in the bearings 30 on the top 0 the bottom 14, and provided with a laterally inclined portion 31 engaging the bottom and yieldingly holding the loop against the up er leaf of the file. The operator may readily throw the loop 29 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and when this is done, the laterally bent portion 21 will engage the bottom and yieldingly hold the loop to the position shown by dotted lines.

In practical use and assuming that the individuals with whom accounts are kept have their names written upon the name cards of the various files and assuming further that a business transaction is to be conducted with one of the individuals, then the operator grasps the file bearing the individuals name by clutching the handles 18 and 23 thereof. The first effect of this will be to slide the indicator and lock to its inner limit of movement. This will release the look from the cabinet and will also set the indicator to position rojecting over the name card. Then the e may readily be removed. The operator then swings the loop 29 and the arms 26 to their rearward limit and places on top of the file, a sheet bearing a record of the transaction. Then the arms 26 and the loop 29 are replaced and the file inserted in the cabinet, the indicator remaining in its position projected across the face of the name card. Assuming further that at a commencement of a days business, all of the sliding locks of the account files are placed in their locked osition and that at the end of the days usiness it is desired to ascertain the volume of business done during the day, the operator may at a glance see what ones of'the files have been used during the day because all of the files in which the indicators project over the name cards are ones that have been used and if the indicators do not project over the name cards they have not been used. Hence the operator need not move nor examine any of the files, the indicators of which show that they have not been used. Furthermore by placing the sheets upon the bottom in the manner shown and by providing a wire loop 29 to hold them in place, the operator may see the last business transaction recorded upon the top sheet without wholly removing the file from the cabinet and without turning it around as it is not necessary to elevate the loop 29 in order to read the account upon the top sheet.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, therefor is 1. A device for keeping accounts comprising a cabinet, a series of file holders therein, each adapted to carry files and a combined lock and indicator for each file holder normally in a locked position from which it must be unlocked and moved in order to withdraw from or deposit a file within its holder whereby the lock and indicator is certainly changed from normal to indicating position whenever access is had to said file without having to remember to make such change and whereby it may be certainly determined after a certain. period at a glance which file holders have been used during said period.

2. A device for use in keeping accounts comprising a casing, a series of file holders therein, each adapted to carry files and a lock and indicator for each file holder, each normally in a position from which it must be unlocked and moved in order to withdraw from or deposit afile within its holder whereby the movement of the indicator from normally locked position is not dependent u on the memory of the operator and where y after a certain period it may be certainly determined at a glance which file holders have had their indicators unlocked and moved from normal to indicating position during said period.

3. A device for use in keeping accounts, comprising a casing, a series of file holders therein, each adapted to carry files, indicators for the file holders, each normally in a position from which it must be manually removed in order to withdraw from or deposit a file within its holder and to which it must be returned to complete its movement and a locking device for each file holder coacting with the indicator thereof to prevent a complete movement of the indicator until the locking device is first released.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame having a number of compartments, files in the compartments, a name card on each file and a combined lock and indicator connected with each file, said lock and indicator in one position engaging the frame to prevent the removal of the file and in its other position having the indicator extending over the name card.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame having a number of compartments, files in the compartments, each file provided with a stationary handle member and also with a sliding handle member, said sliding I stationary handle member projecting out-- handle member having a lock, said lock in one position engaging the frame to prevent the removal of the file.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame having a number of compartments, files in the compartments, each file provided with a stationary handle member and also having a lock, said lock in one position engaging the frame to prevent the removal of the file, and an indicator connected with and operated by the sliding handle member.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame having a number of compartments, said frame formed with openings in the sides of the compartment, files in the compartments, each file provided with a Wardly from its front, a movable handle member on each file provided with a lock, said lock in one position entering the adjacent opening in the frame, and necessarily moved before the file may be withdrawn.

8. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a series of file holders, an indicator for each file holder, designed to be moved from normal to indicating position when access is had to the file, and a locking device operatively associated with the indicator.

WILLIAM W. ROBINSON. Witnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, S. F. CHRIsTY. 

